Thursday, June 6, 2019

BAGUMBUNGAN CAVE | Spelunking Adventure in Marinduque

At Bagumbungan cave. Cong Lord Allan Velasco with his adventure team back then.
10 years ago and now

Thousands of spelunkers have been mesmerized by Bagumbungan Cave since this blogger posted the very first video feature on this cave July 15, 2009. It was discovered by a team from the provincial tourism office, part of their initiative to discover, develop and promote existing sites unique to Marinduque to make the island-province known as a prime ecotourism destination in the region. 

In the beginning, the said cave was to be promoted as 'San Isidro Cave' being located in the barangay with the same name. Excerpts from my blog:

To the old folks of the village of San Isidro, the cave is referred to as 'Bagungbungan', a place avoided even by the curious, as it has been associated with phantom stories reinforced by actual accounts of persons who have gone to the cave periphery and, without a trace, disappeared.
Two weeks ago, provincial tourism chair Allan Velasco together with the tourism team, revisited San Isidro cave and conferred with the village chief (who hadn't been to the cave, himself), on the importance of community involvement to preserve the state of this natural treasure.
The very first video on San Isidro Cave/Bagumbungan Cave, found on the Internet with a modest 42,287 views:


Many videos and articles have since been posted on numerous websites and Facebook pages about this wonder of Marinduque. The most recent one appeared in Angelo The Explorer, a travel blog which aims "to promote the best of the Philippines and the World".

Excerpts below, full story could be browsed on this link.

BAGUMBUNGAN CAVE | Spelunking Adventure in Marinduque

Angelo The Explorer
Out of so many things to do in Marinduque, one adventure you should not let pass is a spelunking adventure at BAGUMBUNGAN CAVE in Sta Cruz. I was  so pleased when I found out that a cave adventure was included in the itinerary. I always long for extreme adventures and I think this is one of the best that you could get in the Heart of the Philippines!
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After our enjoyable breakfast at Balar Hotel and Spa, we immediately went to Barangay San Isidro and Barangay Punong in Sta Cruz where we were going to start our caving adventure. Oh! If you are thinking of where to stay in Marinduque? You won’t be disappointed with Balar Hotel and Spa.

How to get to Marinduque? 

1. Fly by air via Cebu Pacific
Manila To Marinduque (Terminal 4)
Monday – DG 6007- Departure 15:25 – Arrival 16:25
Wednesday – DG 6007 – Departure 6:00 – Arrival 7:00
Saturday – DG 6007 – Departure 5:45 – Arrival 6:45

Marinduque to Manila (Terminal 4)

Monday – DG 6006- Departure 16:45 – Arrival 17:45
Wednesday – DG 6006- Departure 8:45 – Arrival 9:45
Saturday DG 6006 – Departure 8:45 – 9:45
If you want to know more information, you may visit www.cebupacificair.com
2. Land/ Boat Travel 
  • JAC LINER Buendia to Dalahican Port in Lucena
  • RORO BOAT to Balanacan Port , Mogpog

Bagumbungan Cave Rates

To participatein the caving, each one is required to pay Php 300.00 per person for the TRAVERSEcaving which includes the Entrance Fee, Environmental , Guide and other fees all included in the price. I would advise giving an extra tip to the guides of course.
If you plan to only reach the FALLS inside the cave, you only need to pay Php 150.00 per person. In my personal opinion, I pretty much prefer the traverse because you see a lot more inside and it was a different achievement to be able to traverse this beautiful underworld.

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If you want a hassle-free tour  around Marinduque Islands, you can also get in touch with the only Department of Tourism (DOT) Accredited Tour Operator on the Island which is the DREAM FAVOR TRAVEL AND TOUR. Based on experience, they are excellent and highly recommended! 

Dream Favor Travel and Tour Phone Number

0918 933 1605
Before we started our adventure, we then our helmets on and made sure that torches worked well inside. We also had a briefing by our guide on the Do’s and Don’t once we were inside the cave. It is very important that you listen well since they are the ones that are very familiar with the trail and make sure you wear proper clothing and shoes because you are going to get wet and some parts of the cave can be slippery.
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On my last visit here, it was pouring and there was so much water inside so we were not able to complete the traverse because of the rising waters, but this time, since it was summer time and had not been raining we were told that it was safe to do a traverse this time. We were so excited! After the short briefing about what to expect inside the cave, they also introduced the guides that would be joining us inside the cave. 
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After some question and answers during the briefing, we then started our 5-minute walk towards the mouth of the cave.Before entering, we turned on our lights, tightened our helmets and made sure everything was working. Once checked, off we went on our 4 hour spelunking adventure in Bagumbungan Cave.
Compared to the other caves I’ve explored such as in Samar, the mouth of Bagumbungan Cave isn’t that big at all. You hardly see what is inside because of the darkness which adds more mystery to to this whole adventure.
We started our descent right after some final instructions, and as I looked back, I was so captivated and couldn’t help but take photos of this beautiful cave entrance from below. J
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Just remember that spelunking would require some upper body strength as you are going to climb some boulders using ropes. As we descended deeper inside the cave we were amazed by the different rock formations found inside. Just make sure to not touch them as they are living and still growing.
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Aside from the columns, stalactites, stalagmites found inside the cave, you will also find streams that you are going to walk through making the whole spelunking so much fun. Oh, make sure to also bring a dry bag just to make sure your camera and other electronic devices will stay dry. Some of the chambers are big enough to walk but also expect that some of the chambers will require you to crawl adding more excitement to the whole adventure.